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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 002444 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EUR/SE, EUR/PD, NEA/PD, DRL 
JCS PASS J-5/CDR S. WRIGHT 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC KMDR TU
SUBJECT: ANKARA MEDIA REACTION REPORT 
WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 2006 
 
 
In Today's Papers 
 
Turkish Military Activities on Iraqi Border 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Sabah, Vatan, Cumhuriyet, Radikal, 
Zaman, Yeni Safak and others report the Turkish General 
Staff (TGS) operations chief General Bekir Kalyoncu as 
saying at a press briefing Tuesday that the presence of 
Turkish troops in northern Iraq is no secret.  Kalyoncu 
said: "Turkish troops in northern Iraq are not operational 
units.  Our presence will keep on as long as the terrorist 
activities continue in the region."  Ambassador Ross Wilson 
told the press at yesterday's Israeli National Day reception 
that while in Iraq, Secretary Rice had made clear Turkey's 
views with regard to the PKK presence in northern Iraq. 
"There are a limited number of Turkish troops in northern 
Iraq.  The Turkish forces are not doing anything new; they 
are protecting their own borders.  Turks take strong 
measures to prevent PKK infiltrations across the border into 
Turkey," Wilson said, denying warning the Turks to pull 
back, "Neither the US nor Iraq has made such a demand." 
Wilson noted Iraq was not disturbed by the Turkish presence 
in northern Iraq, but someday the Turks will have to leave 
when the trouble ends. 
 
Several Turkish papers quote US State Department Spokesman 
Sean McCormack as saying in response to a question about 
Turkish operations in northern Iraq, "This is a topic on 
which we have a continuing dialogue with the Turkish 
government.  We would call upon all of Iraq's neighbors to 
respect Iraq's sovereignty and to work with the Government 
of Iraq on any issues that they may have regarding borders 
and that anything that is done is done in a transparent 
manner and through mutual agreement." 
 
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said Turkish troops will stay 
at the border until the PKK terror ends.  "We are talking 
with Iraq. Iraq knows we have no secret plans.  Our forces 
have to be maintained there because there is infiltration. 
I hope that in a short time the Iraqi forces will be able to 
prevent that but until then we will take action. We have the 
right to take action according to international law," Gul 
emphasized. 
 
Writing in the left-leaning Cumhuriyet, Orhan Birgit notes 
that at the same time the Turkish General Staff (TGS) was 
stating that the Turkish Military had the right to conduct 
cross-border operations in Northern Iraq and that the 
presence of Turkish soldiers in the region will last "until 
the PKK is completely eliminated from the region," news was 
coming in that Iran was "taking action" against PKK threats 
inside the Iraqi border.  Birgit comments that the two 
different countries, "unofficially established sort of an 
imaginary 'joint security defense' action against the same 
target." 
 
Erdogan Due to Meet Ahmadinejad, Karamanlis 
Hurriyet, Milliyet, Radikal, Cumhuriyet and others:  On May 
5, Prime Minister Erdogan is expected to meet with the 
Iranian President Ahmadinejad on the margins of the Economic 
Cooperation Organization (ECO) summit in Baku.  On Tuesday, 
a delegation headed by Erdogan's foreign policy advisor 
Ambassador Ali Yakital went to Baku to prepare for the 
bilateral meeting.  Hurriyet reports before his trip to 
Baku, Erdogan told visiting Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh 
al-Khalifa that Iran had the right to use nuclear technology 
for peaceful purposes, but that there should be no nuclear 
powers in the Middle East.  On Thursday, Erdogan will meet 
his Greek counterpart Karamanlis in Greece to discuss the 
Cyprus problem and Turkey's EU drive. 
 
ANKARA 00002444  002 OF 003 
 
 
 
Dink to Apply to ECHR against Turkish Court Decision 
All papers:  Hirant Dink, the editor-in-chief of Armenian- 
Turkish daily Agos told BBC after a Turkish high court 
decided to overrule a lower court decision to postpone the 
six month prison sentence for ridiculing Turkish identity 
that if not cleared, he might leave the country.  Dink said 
he will appeal to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) 
against the high court decision.  The European Commission 
Representative in Turkey, Ambassador Hansjorg Kretschmer 
said on the overruling freedom of expression was 
jeopardized, and the reforms process was threatened in 
Turkey. 
 
Turkish Companies to Join Iraq Rebuilding Fair 
Aksam reports 102 Turkish companies will participate in 
"Rebuild Iraq 2006" trade fair to be held in Amman from May 
8-11.  US had pledged to allocate USD 18.6 billion, and 
global donors USD 33 billion to rebuild Iraq.  More than 
1,000 companies from 40 countries will join the fair. 
 
 
TV Highlights 
NTV (7 a.m.) 
 
Domestic News 
- The Turkish General Staff, the Jandarma and the Police 
have announced uneasiness over Article 6 of the new anti- 
terror bill which was criticized by the main opposition CHP 
on the grounds that it will pave the way for an amnesty to 
the PKK's imprisoned leader Abdullah Ocalan.  Justice 
Minister Cemil Cicek said they might require a closed 
session for the Parliamentary Justice Commission to begin 
discussing the draft. 
 
- Early Wednesday morning, an Armenian jetliner flying to 
Istanbul crashed near the Russian resort of Sochi while 
trying to make an emergency landing, killing all 113 people 
aboard. 
 
- A woman, Sumru Cortoglu has been elected to head Turkey's 
Council of State (Danistay). 
 
- Three officials of the disbanded Kurdish association, Kurd- 
Der, have been detained in Istanbul while releasing a press 
statement.  The Diyarbakir-based Kurd-Der was disbanded last 
month for accepting Kurdish as its official language. 
 
International News 
- Iran's Revolutionary Guards commander has warned Iran 
would strike Israel first if the US attacks Iran. 
 
- Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has resigned four 
weeks after being defeated by a narrow margin in the general 
elections by a centre-left coalition headed by Romano Prodi. 
 
- Britain's Guardian reported contaminated British blood 
products sold to other countries including Turkey might 
cause mad cow disease.  The Turkish Health Ministry rejected 
the claims. 
 
- Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis expressed Athens' 
sensitivity with regard to Halki Seminary and the Greek 
Orthodox Patriarchate in Istanbul, urging Turkey to reopen 
the seminary. 
 
- Three US troops have been killed as a roadside bomb went 
off near the Turkish Embassy in Baghdad. 
 
 
 
ANKARA 00002444  003 OF 003 
 
 
 Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
 
  http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
WILSON